In lamp assemblies which are used with automotive vehicles, it has become necessary to mount the bulb resiliently in order to minimize the damage to the bulb due to vibration. A typical construction is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,512.
In the copending U.S. application, Ser. No. 688,849, filed Mar. 22, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,566, there is disclosed an improved marker lamp construction wherein the lamp socket base includes a projection that extends into an opening in a resilient mounting member.
Among the objectives of the present invention is to provide a simple low-cost means of providing an electrical ground, which obviates the necessity of one electrical lead and the associated connections such as soldering, which does not interfere with accurate bulb positioning, and which does not affect the shock absorbing properties of the shock mounting of the bulb.
In accordance with the invention, a ground strap is fastened to the projection on the socket base and extends beneath the resilient mounting member. In one form the strap forms a ground connection to a metal lamp housing. In another form, the strap extends to an opening in a plastic lamp housing so that an electrical ground can be provided by a screw extending through the strap and the opening in the lamp housing to a metal part of the vehicle on which the lamp is mounted.